quarters,--Bachelors' Row, sir, I mean."

"And that ladder was there an hour ago when I went my rounds," said the
corporal, earnestly. "I had my hurricane-lamp, sir, and saw it on the
fence plainly. And there was nothing behind the colonel's at that hour."

Chester turned away, thoughtful and silent. Without a word he walked
straight into the quadrangle, past the low line of stone buildings, the
offices of the adjutant and quartermaster, the home of the
sergeant-major, the club and billiard-room, past the long, piazza-shaded
row of bachelor quarters, and came upon the plank walk at the corner of
the colonel's fence. Ten more steps, and he stood stock-still at the
head of the flight of wooden stairs.

There, dimly visible against the southern sky, its base on the plank
walk below him, its top resting upon the eaves midway between the
dormer-window and the roof of the piazza, so that one could step easily
from it into the one or on to the other, was the very ladder that half
an hour before was lying on the ground behind the house.

His heart stood still. He seemed powerless to move,--even to think. Then
a slight noise roused him, and with every nerve tingling he crouched
ready for a spring. With quick, agile movements, noiseless as a cat,
sinuous and stealthy as a serpent, the dark figure of a man issued from
Alice Renwick's chamber window and came gliding down.

One second more, and, almost as noiselessly, he reached the ground, then
quickly raised and turned the ladder, stepped with it to the edge of
the roadway, and peered around the angle as though to see that no sentry
was in sight, then vanished with his burden around the corner. Another